


Come Warm Up By The Fireplace

by afteriwake



Series: Unpack Your Heart [8]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bad Weather, Determined Irene, Embarrassed Molly, F/F, Falling On Ice, Fluff, Happy Molly, Snow, Snow and Ice, Trek Through London, Undressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 20:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7329379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On her way to her girlfriend’s home after a few days of not seeing her due to a freak snowstorm, Irene slips on a patch of ice and Molly scurries out to help her, heedless of her lack of proper attire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Warm Up By The Fireplace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onceinabluemoon13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceinabluemoon13/gifts).



> So this is an early birthday present for **onceinabluemoon13** , who wanted a Mollrene fic with the prompt " _snow_." I've had this idea sitting here since last Christmas for the [Christmas Fic Countdown](http://penaltywaltz.tumblr.com/post/134408122533/christmas-fic-countdown-2015) for a Mollrene fic with the prompt “ _i slipped on ice outside your house and you ran out barefoot to help me quick let’s get inside under a blanket_ ” that I thought would be the perfect pairing with a snow prompt. I hope you enjoy, hun!

The weather had turned quite nasty with an unexpected and heavy storm and then a frigid cold snap and there had managed to be snow in London. A lot of snow. Enough snow to grind most forms of transportation to a halt, even cars, for the most part. Everyone was miserable, it seemed, and the gears that made London moved were as stuck as it’s inhabitants. 

And Irene was not one to be stuck in her home. 

When she had faked her death she had not spent _all_ her time in bright, sunny locales. She had been Stateside during _their_ horrific winter and so she knew how to navigate a snow storm such as this. It wasn’t pleasant, of course, but when she’d heard the weather report of what could come she’d had her PA go out and buy practical snow gear. Not mountaineering practical, of course, and still stylish, but she wasn’t going to _freeze_ to death during the rather long trek to Molly’s flat if she couldn’t navigate many forms of transportation that were usually readily available. And she had her PA get her a medium sized weatherproof pack that would be comfortable to carry that she could take some clothing in because once she got to Molly’s she’d be damned if she was leaving until the storm blew over.

Yes, she realized she _could_ simply have had Molly come over there before the storm got too bad, or bullied Mycroft into bringing her later, but Molly was stubborn. It was part of the reasons she loved her. She knew her girlfriend trudged out in this mess each morning and trudged back in it each night to her post to do her part in helping to solve crimes for the city. And when she wasn’t busy at the morgue she was going around the hospital to various wings, offering up a warm smile and a reassuring word to patients there who were scared or lonely. That was the wonderful, kind woman she was in love with, and if she’d had Molly holed up in her home she wouldn’t get to do that and that wouldn’t be right.

She put her first layer of clothing on, and then her second, and then the bulky coat and warm gloves and weatherproof boots. She also tied her scarf around her face, leaving her eyes open, and tucked her hair up and into a warm woolen hat. Inside her home, she felt overly warm but she knew outside it would be a tremendous comfort. She gave her PA instructions to lock up behind her and then made her way outside. The storm had tempered a bit but there was still snow falling and the ground was still icy. There were only a few brave souls outside. Or perhaps they were foolish; she herself could be considered foolish to be making the trek from Kensington and Chelsea to the Smithfield part of London, which was roughly under five kilometers. But it had been nearly three days since she had seen her girlfriend because of these freak weather conditions, and that was long enough.

She started her long trek towards Molly’s flat, trying her best to ignore the cold. Most would assume she was a spoiled rich woman but her years in hiding, fearing for her life had hardened her. Toughened her. Not in an emotional sense; that had been done long before, and she had been lucky that in the time she had known Molly the wonderful woman who she loved to the very core of her being had softened her in that regard very much. But she hadn’t had a very easy time of it in her exile, so a nearly three-mile trek in near freezing conditions was hard, but it wasn’t something she wasn’t _used_ to, unfortunately.

She was just outside Molly’s flat when she made a misstep and slipped on a patch of ice, landing on her arse. While her back was rather well padded and she’d managed to tuck her head in to avoid rapping it sharply on the pavement, her trousers were now wet and cold and her arse was sore. She was making herself sit up when the door to Molly’s flat flew open and Molly came running out in nothing put flannel pyjamas and a dressing gown. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“A bit sore, and cold and wet, but otherwise fine,” Irene aid in response.

“ _Irene_?!?” Molly said, her eyes widening as Irene reached up to pull down the scarf over her mouth and nose. “Why…?”

“Because I missed you,” she said, reaching up to caress Molly’s face.

“So you trekked through London in the snow just to see me?” Molly asked, an incredulous look on her face. Irene nodded, and then the widest smile Irene had ever seen on Molly’s face replaced it, and she leaned forward and kissed her. “Oh, what did I ever do to deserve you?” she asked when she pulled away.

“Shouldn’t I be the one to be asking that question?” Irene asked fondly.

Molly laughed for a moment, and then her eyes widened. “We need to get you inside to come warm up by the fire with a blanket! You’re wet and cold and you need to get the chill out of your bones. Oh, I’m a horrible girlfriend for snogging you instead of taking care of you.”

“I don’t know, I rather liked the snog,” Irene said as Molly stood up and then offered Irene her hand. Irene took it and then Molly helped her up and helped her into her flat, even though Irene didn’t really need the help. Molly led her into the sitting room and peeled the pack off her back and set it aside, and then helped undress her. “Is it alright if I stay a while?”

“You can stay as long as you like,” Molly said, peeling the coat off. “I’ve been rather lonely here all by myself.”

“I see,” Irene said as the coat dropped to the floor and Molly’s fingers went to the zipper of the lighter jacket that Irene wore underneath. “We’ll just have to make up for lost time, then.”

“I suppose we will,” Molly said with a smile that was rather on the seductive side, and Irene had the feeling that she would not be the only one divested of clothing shortly. Good. That was exactly as it should be. They had a few days worth of time to make up for.


End file.
